What's New in TX Text Control ActiveX 17.0
Tables gained the most in TX Text Control ActiveX 17.0: users select columns and rectangular blocks of cells, merge and split cells and color each border line, and every cell can carry string data of its own. The version also added page borders, digitally signed PDF files and an HTML import that follows the HTML5 parsing rules.
Below are the features, members and extended members that version 17.0 added since version 16.0.
New Features
- Text selections. Selections in tables now reach table columns and rectangular areas of table cells. Users format table columns and copy them to the clipboard. Selections are displayed with a transparent blue bitmap; set the new SelectionViewMode property to display them in the classic selection view mode instead.
- Merged table cells. The new TableMergeCells method merges all selected cells into a single cell that has the width and the content of the original cells. TableSplitCells splits cells that were merged before. Cells can be merged only if more than one cell is selected and the selection is in a single table. The TableCanMergeCells and TableCanSplitCells properties tell you whether cells can be merged or split.
- Table cell data. Each table cell can store any string data associated with it. The new TableCellData property gets or sets this data. The data is stored only in the TXTextControl file format.
- Colored table lines. Table lines can be colored, and each line of a table cell can have a different color. All text filters and the TXTextControl file format were extended, so that other applications receive these colors. The TableCellAttribute property has the new settings txTableCellLeftBorderColor, txTableCellTopBorderColor, txTableCellRightBorderColor and txTableCellBottomBorderColor to set them in code. Users set colored table lines in the built-in dialog box for table attributes.
- Page borders. Each page of a document section can have a border with a top, left, right or bottom line or a combination of these lines. The width and the color are defined for each line separately, and each line has a distance either to the edge of the page or to the text. The border surrounds the text of the page, either with or without the page headers and footers. It applies to the first page, to all pages or to all pages from the second page on. The new PageBorderAttribute property defines a page border in code, and the dialog box for setting section attributes was extended, so that users define one as well.
- Digital signatures. PDF files can be saved digitally signed with an X.509 certificate. The LoadSaveAttribute property has the new attributes txCertificateFileName, txCertificatePassword and txTimeServerURL to set the certificate for a save operation.
- HTML format. The HTML import filter of TX Text Control uses the parsing rules of the W3C specification of HTML5.
New Properties, Methods and Events
Version 17.0 adds five properties and two methods to TXTextControl.
Properties
| Member | Description |
|---|---|
| TXTextControl.PageBorderAttribute | Returns or sets page border attributes for the whole document or for a section of the document. |
| TXTextControl.SelectionViewMode | Specifies whether text selections are displayed with a transparent bitmap or by inverting the text. |
| TXTextControl.TableCanMergeCells | Tells whether table cells can be merged. |
| TXTextControl.TableCanSplitCells | Tells whether table cells can be split. |
| TXTextControl.TableCellData | Returns or sets a string associated with the specified table cell. |
Methods
| Member | Description |
|---|---|
| TXTextControl.TableMergeCells | Merges all selected table cells. |
| TXTextControl.TableSplitCells | Splits all selected table cells. |
Extended Properties, Methods and Events
Properties
| Member | Change |
|---|---|
| TableCellAttribute property | Extended with the txTableCellLeftBorderColor, txTableCellRightBorderColor, txTableCellTopBorderColor and txTableCellBottomBorderColor attributes, which get or set the colors of the border lines of a table cell. |
| LoadSaveAttribute property | Extended with the txCertificateFileName, txCertificatePassword and txTimeServerURL attributes, which sign PDF files with an X.509 certificate. |